


Impossible Things

by You_Light_The_Sky



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Controlling mothers, Don't copy to another site, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, M/M, Viktor is a snow spirit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 22:57:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20938139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Light_The_Sky/pseuds/You_Light_The_Sky
Summary: A snow spirit, Viktor, can’t help but long for a kind but anxious human named Yuuri Katsuki.





	Impossible Things

**Author's Note:**

> Got inspired to write this recently =D hope you enjoy! It's rushed and a bit ooc but oh well!

“Don’t touch the humans,” his mother warns, in the still days after his father’s death. “They’re weak and frail.” She trails her fingers down his cheek, tracing frost lilies from his collarbone to his face. “They’ll wither.” 

Just as Viktor tries to cradles her hand against his, she pulls away, snatching his wrist away from her.

She yanks him towards the door.

They leave his father’s frozen corpse behind.

*

Viktor likes being with his mother. He really does. Before, it was just him and Papa with Mother rarely visiting. Papa wasn’t fun to be around. He used to look at Viktor warily and never touched him. All Viktor wanted was one embrace, just one, to see what it might be like. Would it warm his Papa? Papa was always shivering… always pale…

The next time Mother visited for the night was the last time he saw Papa alive.

Now it’s just Viktor and Mother.

He’s sad but also so excited. Mother holds his hand all the time. She holds him close when they sleep. She’s not afraid when Viktor wipes her tears but… she never really looks at him either.

It’s as if he’s half Medusa, instead of half human, as if looking at him directly will freeze her despite being a snow spirit.

It’s not until he needs new clothes, his old ones too tight and ragged that his mother really looks at him, something sharp in her gaze.

“You’re… taller… Much too tall for your age...”

Viktor brightens. “Isn’t it great? I’ll be able to reach the highest bookshelf soon!”

Her face seems to shutter. “Your breaths… they come out as clouds.”

“Hmm! I like it! I use my breath to warm my hands!”

She narrows her eyes. “Warm?”

“Yes? Is… is that a bad thing?”

She doesn’t answer, only tightening her grip.

*

The next day, she leaves him in Russia with his uncle Yakov and half human cousin Yuri. The next day, she tells Yakov to make Viktor into a proper snow spirit. The next day, she doesn’t come back.

**I - Impossible, For Snow to Touch a Human (and Live)**

*

*

*

“Yakov’s going to kill you,” Yurio purrs, high up in the trees, picking pinecones to bring to his grandfather and freezing the evergreen needles.

“Only if he catches me,” Viktor shushes him, peeking through the woods at the carnival lights below. “It’s Winter festival! The only exciting thing that happens around here. I have to go again. I didn’t get caught last time.”

“Right… well, don’t come crying to me if you accidentally freeze a human again.”

“I won’t! And it was just their fingers! I’m sure they’re fine! Humans have doctors for that sort of thing!”

He dodges the snowball Yurio throws at him.

“Until tomorrow, Yurio!”

“I hope you die in a ditch!”

Ah, his cousin loves him. Really.

*

Viktor rushes through the streets, grinning at the string of lights above the food carts and being careful not to enter the crowded roads. He wouldn’t want another frostbite incident. During the Winter Festival, he’s free. No Yakov or Yurio or Grandfather Sasha breathing down his neck about being a proper spirit. He can just participate in the annual ice skating tournament, skate to his heart’s delight, and  _ win _ . There’s nothing better than the sound of humans chanting his name in adoration, all eyes on him.

As soon as he reaches the outdoor rink, he spells up some blades from the snow and puts them on. He has both feet on the ice when he feels his breath get taken away…

There, in the center of the rink, where no one has gone yet, skates a being so beautiful, Viktor forgets to blink.

This skater! He’s never seen anyone move so vividly, as if their body  _ is  _ the music, as if they are longing and sadness given human form. This skater dances with a tenderness that Viktor can never pull off, this shy genty feeling that rises through the sadness…

He’s beautiful in a way Viktor doesn’t know how to describe and before he knows it, he’s skated so close that when their eyes meet, the gorgeous skater actually lets out an  _ eep! _ and falls over, a completely different air about him (but equally as charming.)

Viktor reaches out with his hand to catch the other skater when he remembers his touch is fatal for humans and jolts back, also falling over on his back.

“Oh my god, are you alright?!” the other skater frets, an adorable Japanese Russian accent coming through. What beautiful brown eyes, warm as the earth, squinting at him rather comically…

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Viktor dodges the other skater’s hands with regret. 

“But your hands!” the other skater frowns, “they’re blue! Here, let me give you my gloves. Take my scarf too!”

Before Viktor can protest, the gloves fall on his lap and the scarf is fastened over his ears. Oh, Viktor blushes, resisting the urge to burrow deeper into the gentle warmth, how kind.

“...Thank you.”

The skater ducks his head down with the most endearing soft blush. “You’re welcome.”

“Viktor!” he spits out, before the other skater can leave. “My name! And yours?”

“Oh. Um. It’s Yuuri,” he replies softly, “Yuuri Katsuki.”

*

Yuuri is amazing. He doesn’t question why Viktor avoids crowds and touch, only gently invites Viktor to have dinner with him and his family. 

“We’re here for a special training camp for skating! It’s about two months over the summer break, and my parents have always wanted to travel with me… it’s a good opportunity between classes at University. I’m lucky my program let me take a two month break. A world class Olympic coach is going to train me, can you believe it?” Yuuri’s movements, before so timid and awkward, are now vivid and alive with colour. “Oh, you’ll love my mother’s cooking! She makes the best katsudon! We’re staying at an airbnb because she insisted on having a kitchen while we’re here!”

“Amazing,” Viktor says, “I’ve never had home cooking before.”

Yuuri doesn’t look at him in pity or confusion, merely lights up and gasps, “Then you’ll  _ love  _ this!”

The Katsukis are lovely, so friendly. They also don’t touch him needlessly and kindly ask about his hobbies and how he met Yuuri. When he tries Katsudon, he wants to melt into a puddle of crystalized goo at how  _ delicious  _ the rice is with egg and fried pork cutlets. He loves sitting around a table chatting with gentle Mr. and Mrs. Katsuki, with surly but kind Mari, and Yuuri’s shy smile.

He wants to hold all of this warmth within him and never let go.

*

“I’m so full, I could die happy,” Viktor says, lying back against the couch.

“Please don’t die,” Yuuri says so earnestly, that Viktor wants to tease him more, “I like your skating.”

Viktor’s eyes light up. “You saw me skate before?”

“Well,” Yuuri’s ears turn an interesting shade of pink, how wonderful! “Yes. I’ve seen your videos posted on youtube… you won last year’s skating competition here right? Your skating is… amazing. You could in the olympics.”

“Why thank you,” Viktor preens, he loves it when humans say he’s better than the professionals. “But  _ your skating,  _ Yuuri, is better than even mine! I can’t bring to life the same emotions that you can! There’s something special about you, especially when you dance, I can’t put my finger on it…”

Yuuri turns his head away. “Ah, it’s nothing compared to what other skaters can do. I can’t even do the right jumps…”

“It’s not nothing!” Viktor almost grabs Yuuri’s hands, but nudges him with one of the throw pillows instead. “Your emotionality shines through any flaws that you might have in your technique! What’s the point of skating the perfect forms if you can’t make your audience  _ feel  _ anything other than awe that you did it perfectly? If I could make my audience feel what you do… I’d…” 

He tries not to think about his mother, these distant fantasies that she might come to smile at him for real, to  _ see  _ him.

“Okay,” Yuuri nudges him back with the pillow, a determined gleam in his eye that makes Viktor shiver. “Then, let’s agree that we’re both pretty good skaters, but we both have things we want to work on. We’re both good.”

Viktor stares down at their hands, each clenched on either side of the pillow. One move, and Viktor could freeze this moment forever (but he could never do that to this rare and genuine human.)

“Okay,” Viktor agrees. “We’re both good.”

*

Viktor lingers in the doorway, cheerfully bowing towards Yuuri’s parents and sister before he stares expectantly at Yuuri, not sure what he’s waiting for, what he’s anticipating. 

Staring up at Viktor shyly, Yuuri brings out a boxed container. “Here. To remember us by. And for you to share with your family.”

Viktor nearly drops the container. “Is this the leftover katsudon?!”

Yuuri ducks his head again. “Um, yeah.”

“Ahhh! Thank you!” He wants to scoop Yuuri up in his arms and never let go. He wants to press his chest against Yuuri’s and feel his heart beat. “I… I’ll come back tomorrow! If you’ll have me! We can skate together!” And hopefully not have to touch.

But Yuuri stands up taller at that invitation, brightening like a wilted flower under the first taste of sun. “Y-yeah! I’d love that! Ten o’clock?”

Viktor nods. “Tomorrow morning. Ten o’clock.”

He holds the katsudon container close to his heart the whole walk home.

*

“You went  _ OUT AGAIN?! _ ” Uncle Yakov practically explodes. “What if you accidentally killed a human?!”

“I dunno, Uncle, he actually got a good haul for once,” Yurio says between bites of katsudon.

Grandpa Sasha, also digging in to the delicious dish, nods in agreement. “If Viktor learns to control his powers faster, he can bring home food like this every day!”

“You’re both snow spirits! Control yourself! You don’t need to eat human food!”

“Yurio is half-human,” Grandpa Sasha points out, petting a content Yurio on the head.

“Doesn’t mean he has to indulge in such things! And  _ you! _ ” Yakov whirls towards Viktor, “I  _ know  _ you haven’t been practising your powers. There’s no way you know to how to interact with a human without accidents happening! What were you thinking?!”

“I was just skating. As usual,” Viktor says, cleaning said skates. Hurricane Yakov will pass. Eventually.

“You’re only supposed to skate when I supervise you! We haven’t trained your control high enough for you to mingle with humans. Now I need you to promise me you won’t go out for the festival tomorrow. I don’t have time to be supervising you this week when I’m supposed to start planning the training regime for this year’s skating camp.”

Viktor jumps up. “Did you say skating camp?”

Yakov’s brow raises. “Since when do you care about participating in my skating camps? You always say the participants are boring and skip out to visit that Christophe instead. This is why you haven’t improved your snow spirit training at all!”

“Ah, but I realized today that I  _ do  _ need to train myself,” Viktor proclaims, “I want to mingle with the humans more! I want to be a skating couch like you, Uncle Yakov! I want to be able to interact with humans without freezing them!”

“Hmmm…” Yakov narrows his eyes. 

Viktor does his best to imitate his snow dog Makkachin, being very cute.

“You  _ do  _ realize that this is a lesson in constraint, yes? That you must wear gloves at  _ all  _ times, and that if you lose control for even one instant, that not even gloves can stop your touch from hurting someone?”

“Yes, yes!” Viktor nods vigorously.

“And that this restraint of your powers can only last for a few hours, that this doesn’t mean you can spend a night with a human, because that restraint will eventually wear off?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

“And that you can only be with a human who truly loves you. That’s the only human you can ever touch freely without killing them accidentally, and that just because a human is kind to you doesn’t mean they love you?”

“Yes, definitely yes, I know!”

“So that means,  _ definitely  _ don’t go casually touching my student’s on the back or something if you think they love you. They are just being  _ kind _ . That’s not the same as  _ love. _ ”

“Of course, I know that!” Viktor nods. At least, he does by now. He thought Christophe loved him once, and he almost froze Christophe’s fingers off by accident. He’ll never make that mistake again. And definitely not with his Yuuri.

Yakov frowns some more, then huffs and pats Viktor on the back. “Fine. But make sure to practise those breathing exercises! I’ll be watching you carefully! No more Christophe incidents! We’re lucky he’s a good kid!”

“I swear I’ll be on my best behavior,” Viktor grins.

*

Of course, Viktor sneaks out to meet Yuuri at the outdoor rink anyways. He waves enthusiastically when Yuuri shows up. “Morning!” he watches with amusement as Yuuri fumbles with his glasses, putting them away into a glasses box so he can squint at Viktor. 

“Morning! My mom made hot cocoa, if you want some!” Yuuri hands him a thermos.

“Ahhh!” Viktor loves chocolate. Such a delicacy he has to bribe Yakov to bring to him during his birthday. He and Yurio have fought many wars over who gets the last piece of chocolate. “Thank you so much! I could kiss you!”

Yuuri turns a delightful shade of red.

“I’ve got a surprise for you too,” Viktor says. “But you’ll see it later.”

“Oh! You didn’t have to!” 

“Nonsense! Anything for you, Yuuri!”

They need to spend as much time together as possible before Yuuri leaves for Japan. Viktor waves away the bits of frost itching to come out from his fingertips. Go away, he tells it. Let him go.

But the frost itches…

*

Yuuri’s wide eyes and delighted smile are worth is when Viktor shows up as Yakov’s ‘unpaid and unofficial assistant. I insist you ask  _ me  _ your questions, not him.’ 

“Oh my gosh, why didn’t you tell me that you’re related to  _ the  _ coach Yakov?!” Yuuri whispers to him as they do their warm-up laps together.

“That was the surprise. I just found out he was doing this skating camp now. Isn’t it great? We’ll be spending lots of time together.”

Yuuri blushes again, Viktor’s favourite thing. “Yeah,” he whispers. “It’s really great.”

*

Getting to see Yuuri every day, interacting with other humans under Yakov’s supervision again, is wonderful. Viktor forgot how much he enjoyed Yakov’s skating camps (even if Yakov is a hardass), before the Christophe incident. Luckily, Christophe is still his friend, even if Christophe sometimes looks at Viktor with fear in his eyes. Luckily, Christophe still cares about him, even if he doesn’t love him like Viktor hoped.

He spends the most time talking to Yuuri from the sidelines, making sure to direct questions about form correction to Yakov so he doesn’t risk touching the other students by accident. Control, he tells himself, because he doesn’t have the level of control to interact with humans with gloves on yet, like Yakov. 

Control.

But suddenly, Yuuri’s trying a really difficult triple flip, and his rotation is off just by a few seconds, but those seconds mean  _ everything _ , and Viktor doesn’t think as he moves out his hand and it  _ just brushes against Yuuri’s hair _ , and he pulls his hand back, no, no, no--

“Ow!” Yuuri groans, gingerly trying to get up from the fall. 

“Are you okay?!” Viktor asks, flailing around, but not daring to touch him. 

“Yes, I’m fine…” Yuuri rubs his head, frowning as he sees bits of frost. “Huh, I didn’t hit my head…” he looks up at Viktor’s hands and gasps, “Viktor! Are you alright?! Your hands are blue!”

He reaches out to touch Viktor’s hand but Viktor can’t let him do that. “Don’t!”

It’s too late. 

Yuuri’s hand brushes against Viktor’s and a bit of frost grows on Yuuri’s fingertips. His eyes go wide as he stares at Viktor. “Oh…”

“ _ Viktor! _ ” Yakov storms over. 

Before Viktor can protest, or run away, Yuuri throws his jacket over Viktor’s hands and says, “It’s okay! I almost skated over Viktor’s fingers! I was just worried! Here, I’ll take him to the changeroom!” 

“But,” Yakov almost intervenes, stopping when he sees that Yuuri is tugging Viktor over with his jacket, not touching Viktor at all. An unreadable look comes into Yakov’s eyes, then understanding. “Fine,” he agrees. “But I’ll speak to you both later.”

*

Viktor wrenches himself away from Yuuri as soon as they reach the changeroom, dropping Yuuri’s jacket as if burned. “You have to get away from me.”

“Viktor, what--”

“I almost  _ froze  _ you! We’re lucky it’s just a bit of frost! Last time, I nearly froze my friend’s fingers off, I shouldn’t have come!”

“Hey stop,” a warm presence wraps around Viktor’s shoulders… Yuuri’s jacket again, like a ghost of a hug. Yuuri stands there awkwardly, holding his jacket’s sleeves, almost holding Viktor. “I’m okay.  _ You’re  _ okay. Nothing bad happened. Just… please tell me what’s going on.”

Looking at how determined Yuuri is, how focused and earnest, Viktor can’t lie.

He tells him everything.

For a long moment, Yuuri only stares oddly at Viktor, then he closes his eyes and smiles. “Thank you for trusting me with this. It must have been hard. And lonely.”

Viktor stills, heart pounding in his ears. “Aren’t you scared of me?” Even Christophe had to keep his distance for a good day before he warmed up to Viktor again. Even Christophe sometimes looks at Viktor with fear. Understandable. 

“Maybe a little,” Yuuri admits. “But I’m more scared  _ for  _ you. All of this must be so hard for you. I’m sorry I made things more difficult.”

“No, you didn’t. I wanted to spend more time with you. I’ll be more careful now, I…!”

“It’s okay,” Yuuri has that determined look again, that focused gaze that appears only when he’s skating, “because I’ll help you. I’ll be careful too. You don’t have to be so afraid anymore. I’m with you.”

Ah. Viktor starts to tear up. 

“What?! Please don’t cry! I’m sorry! I’m being too presumptuous, I just wanted to make you feel better!”

No Yuuri, Viktor thinks, you’re just too kind. Too kind and perfect.

*

Yakov stares at Yuuri, dumbfounded. “And you don’t want to sue him? To report him to the police? Nothing?”

“No, how could I? It’s not his fault!” Yuuri looks scandalized at the mere thought.

Yakov looks at Viktor with astonishment. “How the hell do you keep attracting legitimately good humans near you,  _ how _ .”

“Tell him to give us katsudon every day and we won’t freeze him and his family to death,” Yurio suggests.

“Don’t be rude, dear,” Grandpa Sasha admonishes him. “I can make good food too!”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa, I still love your cooking the most.”

Yakov just facepalms while Yuuri looks fondly at Viktor’s family.

*

Since Viktor’s secret has come out, Yakov allows Viktor to go out more so long as Yuuri is there and they both stay away from crowded areas. Viktor pouts when he realizes that Yakov trusts Yuuri to be more responsible, but can’t balk away from the opportunity. He happily shows Yuuri his favourite haunts in the village and the two of them sit on a bench, watching the falling snow and the skaters drifting away on the outdoor rink.

“I wish I could do that,” Viktor says, looking at a few couples holding hands as they skate, parents and children, lovers, friends clinging to each other. “It seems so nostalgic…” But ultimately different, from the way his mother used to drag him around in her iron grip.

Yuuri stares at the couples and then, as if gathering up all his courage, abruptly stands up. “You can! We can skate together!”

“What?” Viktor’s mouth drops in surprise. “But--”

“Here,” Yuuri unwraps his scarf, “We can hold on to each other with this!” He starts wrapping one end of the red scarf around his wrist and hands the other end to Viktor. “Here.”

Viktor stares at that scarf for a moment, uncomprehending. He looks up at the end tied to Yuuri, at Yuuri’s earnest but shy gaze, and nods, wrapping the other end around his own wrist. 

The next hour is the most fun that Viktor’s had in years. He and Yuuri stumble around, getting the hang of skating together with a red scarf tying their wrists together. They pull each other right and left, careful not to bump into each other, but feeling connected anyways. Somehow, catching Yuuri’s gaze as they skate yet another round in the rink, seeing his matching smile and tender gaze, makes Viktor so warm.

He could do this forever.

*

“Here,” Yuuri puts the scarf around Viktor’s ears and neck. “So you don’t get cold on the way home. Also here’s more katsudon for your cousin.”

Viktor’s eyes crinkle. “You  _ do  _ know that I don’t actually need the scarf, right? Snow spirit, remember?”

“I know,” Yuuri smiles.

Viktor keeps the scarf anyways.

*

Yuuri’s sick the next day. Viktor tries not to fret, to fuss over how fragile humans are, but at Yakov’s annoyed look, Viktor finally gets permission to go over to the airbnb with a pot of soup that Grandpa Sasha made. 

He knocks on the door, and is happily ushered in by the Katsukis who tell him Yuuri is sulking upstairs.

He’s surprised when he finds Yuuri not only feverish and coughing, but also crying.

“Yuuri!” Viktor rushes in, forgetting the thermos of soup and his wet clothes from the snow. “What happened?! Who did this to you?!”

Mortified, Yuuri hides his face in the pillow. “M’not crying! No one did anything! M’fine!”

For a moment, Viktor can only stare helplessly as Yuuri keeps sniffling into his pillow. Slowly, Viktor sits down as close to Yuuri as he can be, and murmurs, “Doesn’t look like you’re fine.”

A pause. Then Yuuri shaking his head into the pillow. “It’s stupid…”

“Nothing you do is stupid,” Viktor insists. “Please, tell me. Let me help.”

Slowly, Yuuri just breathes. Takes several deep breaths. But he doesn’t look up. “Anxiety attack,” he mumbles.

“Ah,” Viktor’s heard about humans who have anxiety from Yakov. He doesn’t remember what Yakov advised him to do in the case a human has a panic attack or a breakdown. “What can I do to help?”

Yuuri only pauses. Then shakes his head again. 

Frantically, Viktor tries to think of something to keep Yuuri’s mind off of whatever caused the anxiety attack. He looks at Yuuri’s abandoned blanket pile, and grabs the thickest, fluffiest one he can, and focuses on  _ control. _

He wraps the blanket nice and tight around Yuuri, and then he holds Yuuri like that, breathing in and breathing out, counting their breaths in 1, 2, 3s. He focuses on being warm instead of cold. He focuses on love.

Oh.

He loves him.

Yes, he loves him so much and he never wants to hurt him, never wants Yuuri to suffer. He hopes Yuuri can feel that in this pseudo-hug. He hopes that Yuuri finds some comfort in his presence.

Finally, Yuuri’s sniffles and gasped breaths calm down. Finally, Yuuri slowly turns his head to meet Viktor’s, his eyes still watery and blotchy and pained, but a tentative smile on his face. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Viktor murmurs, instead of  _ I love you, I love you, I want you to be mine _ . “I want you to be safe and happy. I’m here for you.”

Even if he can’t touch him.

*

The realization that he loves Yuuri is so wonderful and terrible. He understands a little now, why his mother chased his father. But he’ll never subject Yuuri to that. Better to enjoy his time with Yuuri now, and let Yuuri go home to Japan. Better to stay connected through letters when being near Viktor is fatal to Yuuri.

Yes, he’ll let him go.

He’ll wish him the best.

*

Why the hell did his mother have to come back  _ now? _

**II - Impossible, For Snow to Love Such Fragile Creatures**

*

*

*

“Hello Viktor,” Mother says, as if she hasn’t been gone from his life for over ten years. “I’ve come to collect you. It’s time we travelled together again, like proper snow spirits do.” She stares disdainfully at the collection of washed dishes in the sink, at the skates resting against the walls, at the photographs of Yakov with his students. “If I had known that my brother mingles with humans more than I’d like, I wouldn’t have left you here…”

“What? But Viktor can’t go! He’s family!” Yurio glares.

“I’m his mother, he’ll listen to what I say. Respect your elders,” Mother glares down at him.

Yurio scowls at her, but clings to Grandfather Sasha.

“Natalia,” Grandfather stares at her sadly, “why don’t you stay with us for a while? Give Viktor some time to say goodbye? We’ve missed you.”

“And become as human as you all have? I think not. I’m removing Viktor from here before the damage gets worse.”

“Well, I’m not leaving!” Viktor glares. “I like it here! I can skate all I want and Yakov’s been more of a ‘mother’ to me, than you have! I won’t leave!”

Mother glares at him, the room dropping temperature rapidly. “What did you say?”

“Natalia, stop being so dramatic,” Yakov cuts in with a gruff glare. “Viktor’s still young, but he’s old enough to make his own choices. You haven’t been part of his life for quite some time. Why don’t you stay and get to know him again before you make any rash decisions? Don’t just cut us all again because you’re still grieving for Pyotr.”

For a minute, Mother looks like she’ll freeze everyone in the village so she can take away Viktor, and Viktor tenses, ready to defend his family if needed. But then Mother sighs, all tension bleeding from her shoulders, and she looks at Yakov in defeat. “Very well. It  _ has  _ been a long time, father, brother.”

Everyone breathes out in relief.

Then there’s a knock on the door.

Shit, Viktor thinks.

“Who is that?” Mother asks.

“No one. Just one of Yakov’s students. I’ll tell him to go away,” Viktor says quickly, sensing that Yuuri should  _ never  _ meet his Mother. 

“Just a human that Viktor’s in  _ loveee  _ with,” Yurio snickers because his little cousin is a stupid and young and  _ stupid.  _ No one should trust little people with anything.

“ _ What _ .”

“Don’t worry, Natalia! Viktor wouldn’t do anything rash! Yuuri already knows Viktor is a snow spirit and is very careful not to touch to him!”

The table cracks.

“ _ WHAT. _ ”

Shit, Viktor rushes to the door to tell Yuuri to leave but his Mother beats him to the door first.

“Oh, hello?” Yuuri bows towards her, not sure who she is.

Her smile could freeze people’s hearts. “Yes. Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Viktor’s mother. Won’t you come in?”

Please say no, Viktor pleads internally.

How unfortunate it is that Yuuri does not know telepathy and says yes.

*

Why is it so cold? Does Yuuri not feel how cold it is?! 

Everyone in Viktor’s family sits around the table as Mother smile-glares at Yuuri, while she sips her tea. 

“So, how do you feel about my son, Yuuri?” Mother cuts to the chase immediately.

“Mother!” Viktor hisses. “What are you--”

“Hush, Viktor, I’m talking to Yuuri.”

Yuuri blinks, confused by the conversation but says, “He’s important to me. I care about him a lot.”

“And you don’t care that he’s a snow spirit?”

“No! I know he doesn’t want to hurt people, and I’m careful around him too.”

“Hmmm…” She sets her tea down. “Do you love him?”

Everyone starts coughing and or choking at that question.

“Natalia, that’s not a question we should ask them right now. They’re young! They just met two months ago,” Yakov hisses. “It’s a conversation they should have with each other!”

Yuuri looks like he doesn’t know remember how to breathe.

“That’s it, we’re leaving,” Viktor stands up.

“Sit down,” Mother orders. “And answer my question. Do you love him?”

Yuuri frowns, and then replies, “I want him to be happy. And safe.” He inches closer to Viktor, mouthing, ‘do you want me to make an excuse for you and I to leave together?’

God, he could marry this person.

Viktor shakes his head and mouths back, ‘it’s fine.’ It’s not. ‘You should go!’

But Yuuri only frowns.

Mother frowns, her breath becoming colder, trailing frost along the table. “I won’t let a human break apart my family again. I’ll show you that this Yuuri is worth nothing, Viktor.”

She suddenly snatches off Viktor’s gloves, and throws him towards Yuuri.

“Yuuri, don’t touch me!” Viktor yells as he falls.

Please no, please no, not Yuuri!

But Yuuri, brave and kind Yuuri, catches him anyways, skin touching skin. Yuuri doesn’t hesitate. Yuuri doesn’t let him fall.

Viktor’s heart lurches. This is it. Yuuri will freeze. It’s over. Wait, maybe Yakov can save Yuuri before it’s too late, Yakov knows everything but--

Nothing happens.

Yuuri’s skin is warm, not cold. Viktor’s touch does not freeze him.

Viktor stares at him, eyes wide. No one in the room speaks.

“Oh…” Viktor breathes, “you  _ love  _ me.”

Yuuri nearly drops Viktor, to cover his face, but doesn’t. Only holds on tighter as his face turns completely red. 

“...I do. But how did you know… oh.” He finally notices how he is very much not frozen. “ _ Oh _ .”

Viktor can’t resist peppering Yuuri’s face in kisses. Ah, if he’d known how delightful it is to hug another human being, how warm they are, how warm his Yuuri specifically is, he’d have done so sooner!

“Wait! Stop that!” Mother bellows. “Feelings change! He’ll stop loving you one day! You won’t always be able to hold him!”

Viktor stills. “Is that what happened between you and Papa, Mother?” 

Mother flinches.

“So what?” a quiet voice says. 

Everyone stares at Yuuri, at how tightly he grips Viktor.

“Excuse me?” Mother glares at him.

“I said, so what?” Yuuri frowns. “Feelings do change, yes. But that’s part of being human. They can grow. Or they can falter. I don’t know why your husband’s feelings for you changed… maybe you both made mistakes. But Viktor and I always try and communicate. And if I ever felt like I loved him less, I would tell him and I’d try to work hard so I can love him all the more again. That’s what being in love means. Working together to stay in love.” He looks so sure of himself, so confident, that Viktor could swoon. Then Yuuri ducks his head down, ears pink. “That’s what my parents taught me anyways.”

Mother stares at them for a long time, before his mouth wobbles. Then she sits back down, face in her hands, and murmurs. “Go. Just go. I… Do what you want, Viktor.”

Viktor hovers uncertainly, staring at her.

“Just go!” she shouts.

Yuuri frowns, and touches Viktor’s shoulder. “I think you should talk to her,” he whispers. “I’ll be outside the door if you need anything.”

*

Viktor finds Mother staring at an old photo of Papa on the balcony. Yakov nods at him and leaves the room.

In the silence, Viktor tries to remember how to talk to his mother.

“...So you and Papa were in love.”

Mother says nothing for a moment. Then, “Yes.”

“But you were away for so long and…”

“He stopped loving me. He started fearing me. And I killed him. I didn’t mean to, but I did. I don’t want you to go through what I did, Viktor.”

She turns towards him, her cold face suddenly so very vulnerable and human. His mother, supposed to be so strong and protect him, just an uncertain and fragile soul.

“I know, Mother,” he says, not quite forgiving her but not quite condemning her either, “But if I spend the rest of my life isolated and afraid, how will I ever grow? I have to believe that Yuuri and I can endure all things. That our love can grow.”

Mother studies him for a long time, as if trying to memorize his face. “Yes… I suppose you do.”

It’s not quite a blessing, but Viktor doesn’t need it. 

He has his family, and he has Yuuri. That’s enough.

**III - (It’s)possible, For Love to Endure All Things**

*****

*****

*****

He and Yuuri visit each other in their respective countries. And their love grows.


End file.
